Cloaking devices have always been the stuff of fantasy. Until now
Boffins promise invisibility cloak
/v3-uk/news/1967025/boffins-promise-invisibility-cloak
30 May 2006, Clement James , V3
Sci-fi invisibility technology has been used by the Romulans in Star Trek, by teenaged wizard Harry Potter, and by secret agent James Bond.
But cloaking devices, capable of making a person or vehicle invisible, have always been the stuff of fantasy. Until now.
Boffins at theoretical physics labs around the world have published an article in the latest edition of Science which reveals that materials already being developed could funnel light and electromagnetic radiation around any object and render it invisible.
One paper on Optical Conformal Mapping, by Ulf Leonhardt of the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of St Andrews, stated that an invisibility device could guide light around an object as if nothing were there, regardless of the light's source.
Although ideal invisibility devices are impossible owing to the wave nature of light, Leonhardt has developed general recipe for the design of media that create "perfect invisibility within the accuracy of geometrical optics".
"The imperfections of invisibility can be made arbitrarily small to hide objects that are much larger than the wavelength. Using modern metamaterials, practical demonstrations of such devices may be possible," he said.
A second paper on Controlling Electromagnetic Fields by J B Pendry, D Schurig and D R Smith of the Department of Physics at Imperial College London, and the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Duke University in the US, said that metamaterials can also show how electromagnetic fields can be redirected at will.
"The conserved fields (electric displacement field D, magnetic induction field B, and Poynting vector S) are all displaced in a consistent manner," stated the paper.
"A simple illustration is given of the cloaking of a proscribed volume of space to exclude completely all electromagnetic fields."
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Do you agree?
both klingons and romulans
both klingons and romulans could cloak
Posted by trekie2, 30 May 2006
No
The Romulans were the first to develop the cloaking device in Star Trek (TOS Balance of Terror), while the Klingons acquire the technology later through unrevealed means, as seen in The Search for Spock. Is this even relevant...to a true Trekkie yes.
Posted by Eric, 30 May 2006
No - originally it was the Romulans
I think it was the Star Trek - The Original Series episode "Balance of Terror" when the Romulans were introduced ... and their cloaking device. The Klingons, and indeed the Federation may have stolen it later but originally it was the Romulans who had it first.
Posted by Treker, 30 May 2006
klingons not romulans
it was klingons that could cloak their starship im the star trek series
Posted by trekie, 30 May 2006
Duh
Well, you're not going to be able to see anything either, from the inside.
Posted by Rat, 30 May 2006
sorry, Trekie
But the romulans had it first, the Klingons later.
Posted by Pseudo trekie, 30 May 2006
Romulans could cload also
In Star Trek: Nemisis the Romulans could also cloak their vessels.
Posted by estaban, 30 May 2006
trekkies!!
hahaha
Posted by tom, 30 May 2006
No, Romulans is correct.
Romulan ships had cloaking devices in the original series as well as STNG and DS9.
Posted by Rich Steiner, 30 May 2006
Romulans not Klingons
The previous commentator needs to brush up on his Star Trek trivia. The Romulans were the first to have a cloaking device, according to the series. As Wikipedia notes: "In Star Trek, cloaking devices were first introduced and used by the Romulans in the Original Series episode "Balance of Terror". The invisibility came as a surprise to the crew of the USS Enterprise, who considered it only a theoretical possibility. In a later episode, "The Enterprise Incident", the Enterprise is sent on a mission to capture one of the devices.
Posted by John, 30 May 2006
You're wrong
Romulans had the technology first, the klingons stole the technology and used it as their own. Brush up on your Sci-Fi History
Posted by Talos, 30 May 2006
Actually both Klingons and Romulans had cloaking devices
Not that this is that important.
Posted by Ryan, 30 May 2006
Romulans and Klingons could cloak
Both the Klingons and the Romulans had the cloaking technology
Posted by Skid, 30 May 2006
It was both
In the original Star Trek series, in the episode titled "The Enterprise Incident" it was the secret mission of Capt. Kirk and Mr. Spock to steal the cloaking device from a Romulan ship.
Posted by Dave, 30 May 2006
Klingon's got the technology from Romulans
The article included a link to Star Trek.com delineating the "history" of how the Romulans invented the cloaking device but the Klingons were the ones who really exploited the technology.
Posted by Nottatrek E., 30 May 2006
Romulans
Actually, the Romulans used cloak more heavily than the Klingons.
Posted by ArseFace, 30 May 2006
meh
well so can romulans, so not really wrong is it? just not complete.
Posted by better trekie, 30 May 2006
NO, both
Actually both the Klingons and Romulans could cloak
Posted by EL, 30 May 2006
Romulans and klingons
Nerdy I know, but the Romulans gave the cloaking tech to the Klingons.. So the statement in the article is correct.
Posted by Bristol Bandit, 30 May 2006
so could romulans
so could the romulans 'trekkie'
Posted by TNG FAN, 30 May 2006
BOTH can cloak!
wow, for someone with that name you would think you would think before you post.
Both the Klingons AND the Romulans can cloak.
In addition, the future Enterprise in the season finale could cloak and exceed Warp 10.
Posted by trekker, 30 May 2006
Incorrect on Star Trek
The romulans developed the cloak first. They entered the neutral zone and attacked three station outposts until the Enterprise destroyed the romulan vessel. The Klingons STOLE the cloak from the romulans. Please get your Trek facts straight
Posted by Stephen Rafael, 30 May 2006
Nope, Romulans
Kirk stole cloaking technology from the Romulans.
Posted by qwerty, 30 May 2006
wow...
to the guy correcting the star trek reference...DORK
Cool article, gets me hoping for an invisible car cover, wont get my car stolen again.
Posted by Justin, 30 May 2006
Romulans rule
In 'Balance of Terror', it was a Romulan warbird, commanded by the actor Mark Leonard (who would later play Spock's father Sarek). The Romulans had cloaking technology first, then sold it to the Klingons later.
Posted by Older-trekie, 30 May 2006
Exciting Technology
It's an exciting technology. And to set the record straight both the Romulans and Klingons cloaked their ships based on Romulan cloaking technology.
Posted by trekkie 2, 30 May 2006
re: klingons not romulans
romulans have cloaks too. in fact, the federation are pretty much the only ones without cloaking.
Posted by i_hate_stupid_people, 30 May 2006
romulans
actually, both klingons and romulans can cloak :)
Posted by yo, 30 May 2006
reply to above comment
yes the klingons could cloak ships but the technolagy is believed to have been shared when the klingons and romulans were allies federations was banned from developing cloaking technolagy by the treaty of algeron yet in the series deep space 9 the federation was allowed to use cloaking technolagy
Posted by better_trekkie, 30 May 2006
hey trekie
To the guy who posted a comment before me...thanks for the info..scientists the worldover will be happy to know that...
Incidentall, does any one have any visuals to show this so-called "invisibility" at work (not the cheesy ones I've seen with the projection of the a video on a person's coat). Also, is this phenomenon related to negative refraction ?
Posted by James, 31 May 2006
cloaking
it was the borg as well
i am borg ,and you will be ........
Posted by willem brower, 31 May 2006
Actualy your wrong
Both the klingons and the Romulans had a cloak as the klingons gave the technology to the Romulans in the forrm of several birds of prey back in the TOS era. ALthough the Romulans enhanced the technology to make a phase Cloak meaning the cloak could go though soild objects allowing warp speed well cloaked this was a problem in the TNG era.
Posted by Mike Hutton, 31 May 2006
No
The Klingons and the Romulans could cloak their ships in ToS, the Klingons because the Romulans gave the Klingons cloaking technology in return for the D7 battle cruiser. 'Balance of Terror' {Please Check It}.
Posted by Zeon, 31 May 2006
Time line update. Hello? people
Star Trek is in the Future. So, you must be clear in your tenses. The Romulans 'will' have the cloaking device before the Kingons 'will' have one. Criminy. This is future history, not history history. Let's at least get that right. And it's all subject to change. Don't forget that Scotty gave out the recipe for transparent aluminum or aluminium for you English impaired Brits. And he did it in the 20th century. So, actually we humans could have cloaking technology first, you see. Don't count your tribbles before they've hatched. You talking monkeys are just so narrow-minded. Carry on.
Posted by Dr. Gurb, from your future, 01 Jun 2006
So how did the Klingons get it?
I've heard some say the Romulans gave it to them, sold it or did the Klingons steal it? Come trekkies I want to know!
Posted by herbwarri0r, 01 Jun 2006